Bottle lifter



H. A. HANSEN Nov. 19, 1935.

BOTTLE LIFTER Filed July 15, 1935 I 3nventor Herbert A. Hansen.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 ill'iED STATEE ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to a litter or handling device for bottles, jars and the like, and more particularly to an implement for lifting and removing nursing bottles from a hot sterilizing bath.

In the washing and sterilizing of bottles and jars and nipples, it is found very hard to remove them from the boiling water and drain them without'the use of some implement by which the bottle may be gripped and raised out of the bath and turned into different positions for draining.

The object of the invention is toprovide a utensil of this kind that will readily grasp either a small-neck bottle, a large-open-neck bottle, fruit jar or nursing-bottle nipple.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which can be readily placed over the bottle or jar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the spread of the gripping arms can be controlled and adjusted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable and efficient device which may be readily cleaned and which is composed of few parts and none of which are loose.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the bottle or jar may be readily removed from the boiling water without danger to the person manipulating it.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described and claimed and further illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the Views, and it is understood that slight changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows the device as applied to the usual small-necked nursing bottle, within a sterilizing pan, which is indicated by the broken lines.

Figure 2 shows the utensil as applied to a large-mouth bottle or jar.

Figure 3 shows how the utensil may be employed for inverting the bottle to allow it to drain.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the device, in which the gripping arms are in parallel relation with each other when in a normal position.

Referring to the drawing:

The device is constructed from a single piece of resilient wire or other suitable material, andcomprises a U-shaped handle having the return bend ill, and the gripping arms II and I2 which are slightly diverging from each other as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but which may be parallel as shown in Figure 4. 5

The arm ll terminates in a closed ring I3 of the proper dimension to readily slip over the neck 1 of the usual small-neck nursing bottle I9; the ring I3 being formed by twisting the end of the wire iI about itself as at 2!, but leaving the free 10 end I5 projecting at right angles thereto to form a spur E5.

The arm i2 also terminates in a closed ring I4 formed by twisting the end of the wire I2 about itself as at 22, but in this case, the ring I4 is of 15 greater diameter than the ring I3 and can be easily passed over the body of the bottle or jar, and the two rings I3 and I4 are eccentric with each other.

As the utensil is constructed from resilient material the arms II and I2 have a natural tendency to spread apart, and to control this and also to limit this spreading movement, which might allow the large ring M to slip off of the end of the bottle body, I have provided each of the arms I I and i2 with the sliding lugs I6 which are frictionally mounted thereon.

These lugs I6 are connected together by a chain I1 or other suitable means, or some suitable form of hook or other limiting device may be employed.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, by moving these lugs 56 towards the'end II] the spread of the will be increased and by moving them towards the rings, the spread of the arms will be decreased, as the normal position of the arms II I2 is parallel; but as shown in Figure 4, these lugs I6 and chain ll are employed only to limit the spread and the spread can not be adjusted. 40

In the use of the utensil, it is grasped in the hand, the arms compressed together and the large ring I4 slipped over the neck of the bottle and moved down upon the body of the bottle to bring the small ring I3 over the neck. The arms II and I2 are then allowed to spread apart which will bring the rings I3 and I4 into a gripposition with the bottle as shown in Figures '1 and 3 of the drawing, exerting a firm grip by which the bottle may be lifted from the bath, and inverted as shown in Figure 3, to drain.

In the case of a large open-mouth bottle or jar as shown in Figure 2, the large ring I4 is placed over the body of the bottle 2!] and the spur I5 of the small ring I3 is inserted into the 5 mouth of the bottle 20; the arm ll acting as a stop against the end of the mouth, and in this case the bottle 20 is lifted by the ring I4 and the spur l5.

In a similar manner the spur l5 may be inserted into a nipple or other object to remove it from the bath, or a nipple may be grasped between the aligned ends of the rings l3 and M in a similar manner to pliers; said rings I3 and I4 being formed eccentric to each other so that their outer edges register with each other and form a pair of lips by which objects may be gripped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a bottle lifter comprising a U-shaped handle of resilient material, arms formed thereon and diverging therefrom, closed rings formed on the ends of said arms in eccentric relation With each other, one

of said rings of smaller diameter than the other and formed with a projecting spur, means for limiting the spread of said arms, comprising a pair of slides mounted on said arms, and a flexible connection between said slides.

2. As an article of manufacture, a bottle and jar lifter comprising a U-shaped handle, a pair of arms integral therewith and extending therefrom in spaced relation with each other, closed rings of different diameters formed on said arms in eccentric relation with each other, a spur formed on one of said rings for insertion into the article to be lifted, a pair of lugs slidably mounted on said arms and adapted to be moved thereon, and a flexible connection secured to said lugs for controlling the spread of said arms and governed by the position of the lugs upon said arms.

HERBERT A. HANSEN. 

